I managed to get back to Bardstown’s baseball field from the tennis regionals in E’town on Tuesday just in time to catch the final few plays of the Tigers’ 11-9 win over Bethlehem.

It was a win that, while deceptive at first glance, was defined by some great pitching. True, it sounded crazy when I was told that Tuesday night, but it made more sense when I checked out the stats on Wednesday morning.

Each year, I look forward to the boys’ Sweet 16 state basketball tournament as a bit of a family/class reunion of sorts, a chance to catch up with old friends I’ve made along my travels around the state over the years.

Lately though, I’ve been thinking a lot about who was there, rather than who is.

Kentucky Derby 141 looms less than two months away, and Nelson Countians — and racing fans state- and worldwide — find their own ways to celebrate the passion of that first Saturday in May, Churchill Downs executive John Asher said in an entertaining visit Tuesday.

Asher, an award-winning radio journalist before ascending to vice president in charge of racing communications at the venerable track in Louisville, called on his old radio chops to weave a number of folksy tales during his visit for the Nelson County Friends of Scouting Luncheon at Maywood.

I love history. Always have. It was my major when I first started school at Western Kentucky way back when, but I put that on the minor back-burner once I transferred to Northern Kentucky and discovered journalism was my thing.

Sports is a great way to explore that history, to tell the stories of those who came before to the younger generations.

As I’ve learned more about the local sports history during my years with The Kentucky Standard, I’ve had an idea rattling around in my melon for some time.

The common theme of the divisional round of the NFL playoffs is that the home team most always wins. Those teams are rested after a bye, awaiting teams that got knocked around the week before in the wild card games.

My picks for Saturday’s games — which appeared in Friday’s edition — reflected this, as I expect the Patriots and Seahawks to have already reserved a spot in the conference finals by the time you read this.